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EINet
News Briefs Archive
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About EINet
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The EINet listserv was created to foster discussion, networking, and collaboration in the area of emerging infectious diseases (EID's) among academicians, scientists, and policy makers in the Asia–Pacific region. We strongly encourage you to share their perspectives and experiences, as your participation directly contributes to the richness of the "electronic discussions" that occur. To respond to the listserv, use the reply function. In this edition:
Although not food borne, the avian flu has resulted in
major changes in the trade and sale of poultry in Hong Kong
and China. The massive destruction of flocks and impact of
trade disruption between the PRC and Hong Kong reminds us of
how large the trade of foodstuffs in our region has become
over the last decade. The increased trade of foodstuffs
within EU economies has led to intensified collaborative
efforts among those countries to carry out surveillance for
foodborne pathogens. An example of this would be " Salmnet",
the European Network for International Human Salmonella
Surveillance, and increased development of surveillance
laboratory techniques, such as the application of
pulsed–field gel electrophoresis to the investigation of the
international outbreak of Salmonella agona in 1996.
To what extent is there cooperative effort for the
surveillance of food borne diseases such as Salmonella and
Campylobacter in the Asia Pacific region? A brief overview
of Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines,
Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Mexico, Taiwan government health websites revealed readily
retrievable information about Salmonella and Campylobacter
surveillance in only Australia/New Zealand, Canada, and
Japan.
Given the history of epidemic E coli in a number of
economies and the concern about increasing drug resistance
of salmonella in South Asia food borne surveillance should
be a priority. Our overview of electronically posted
information may well underrepresent the collaborative
activity in this area. We invite our listserv members to
share any information they may have about initiatives in
food safety, foodborne illness surveillance, and
collaborative surveillance efforts among APEC member
countries. Thank you and Happy New Year!!!
January 1, 1998 update: The Department of Health (DH)
announces one morenew confirmed influenza A (H5N1) case
today (Thursday). The case involved a 14–year–old female.
She is under treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital in
satisfactory condition. This brings the total number of
cases to 14 confirmed cases and six suspected cases.
Confirmed cases
Case 1: Male / 3 yr Died Suspected cases
Case 1: Female / 3 yr Recovered and discharged 18㪤㫹 ProMED–mail has learned that there is a cluster
of influenza A H5N1 cases within a family being investigated
in Hong Kong. Although the possibility of independent
introductions cannot be excluded, the onset of illness in
the apparent secondary cases followed the index case by 3נ
days.
In other words, the HK Dept of Health has formally
recognized the possibility of human–to–human transmission.
On December 16th, Director of Health Dr Margaret Chan said
that genetic analysis of the H5N1 virus in the first four
cases so far had shown avian gene sequences while laboratory
results of the other cases were pending. "This points to the
fact that the transmission of the virus both from
bird–to–human and human–to–human are possible," Dr Chan
said, although "the efficiency of transmission from
human–to–human should not be high or there should be
hundreds and thousands of such cases in the territory by
now, according to past experience with other types of
influenza. Thus, the present cluster of cases detected in HK
had not reached epidemic proportions."
ACTION: The Agriculture and Fisheries Department was in
charge of slaughtering 1.3 million birds. In an operation
which started on Monday, only about 20 per cent of the
chickens and other poultry kept near them killed in the
first day because most of the workers had no experience of
handling chickens. (From the South China Morning Post
online) <This step was taken in part because early
serologic surveillance taken at the time of the first case
suggested contact with poultry as a risk factor for
surveillance––mod.>
Here is our weekly summary of relevant Asia–Pacific
postings to the ProMED Electronic Network, which is a
prototype for a communications system to monitor emerging
infectious diseases globally as an initiative of the
Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and co–sponsored by
WHO. More information about PROMED can be acquired
contacting the moderator. Please contact the moderator if
you would like more any of the reports below:
AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND) – DENGUE (01㪜) The WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus Reference and
Research, Queensland Health, has confirmed 21 cases of
dengue 3 virus infection in Cairns, with most having a
history of having stayed or visited a local hostel. Some of
the cases are from people working or staying at nearby
places. The virus appears to be rather virulent, with 7/21
cases hospitalised, though no DHF has been reported.
A spokesman said the latest outbreak was caused by a new
variety of dengueן virus. "That concerns us greatly because
the last one was type 2. When you get people being infected
sequentially by two different strains they can develop
dengue haemorrhagic fever," he said. Sequencing of the PCR
product amplified directly from patient sera suggested that
the dengue 3 virus originated from SE Asia. The virus is
most closely related to a dengue 3 virus isolate obtained
from a patient who returned to Australia from Thailand in
1993.
Mosquito control efforts include media pounding,
house–to–house source reduction and, with great emphasis,
interior fogging with residual pyrethroid insecticides. The
goal at this time is to keep the virus confined to the area
near the hostel.
INFLUENZA, AVIAN, H7 SEROTYPE (04) From: Dr. Jean Blancou & Dr. Gardner Murray. A
further infected farm has been detected within the declared
infected zone. This third farm was within 1 kilometre of the
first infected farm and is well within the 3 km surveillance
zone. This third farm was a commercial broiler farm which
also raised emu chicks. <As usual, detailed update report
available upon request>
INDONESIA – MALARIA (IRIAN JAYA) An Irian Jaya Health Provincial Officer reports that
there is a large possibility that at least 50% of the deaths
in the outbreaks in Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea are
caused by malaria, spurred by changes in the ecosystem. El
Nino has caused drought conditions since April 1997 and
increased the temperature in the highland, possibly
broadening the climatic conditions favorable to _Anopheles
punctulatus_ (?).
<According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, El Nino related impacts have included 1)
wetter than normal conditions over the equatorial central
and eastern Pacific (June–November) and over central Chile
(May–August); and 2) drier than normal conditions in
Indonesia (June–November), and most of Central America and
Mexico (June–September). What evidence of the effects of
these climatic changes have been seen by listserv members on
vector borne emerging infectious diseases?>
TAIWAN – FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE, SWINE (From the China News:) Foot and mouth disease has
infected at least 211 pigs in Taiwan during the past week:
Chupei, Hsinchu – 30 pigs; Taichung – 49; Kaohsiumg, Kanshan
– 132. All animals have been slaughtered. This is the second
outbreak of the same type of FMD in pigs this year in
Taiwan, and officials believe the recurrence may be due to
lapsed vaccination programs stemming from declining pork
prices.
Thank you for all of you who responded to our interest
survey. Colleagues from thirteen economies responded. The
results are below:
A. Which of the following would be most useful to
you:
43% 1. summary of surveillance reports of outbreaks in
the Asia–Pacific region from such sources as ProMED B. As you know, APEC listserve "breaks into" your email
with updates to assure you are informed of the latest
developments in the field. How frequently would you like
this to occur:
43% 1. once a week
The APEC EINet listserv was established to enhance collaboration among academicians
and public health professionals in the area of emerging infections surveillance
and control. Subscribers are encouraged to share their own material with their
colleagues in the Asian–Pacific Rim by addressing comments to apec–ein@u.washington.edu.
To subscribe, please contact Nedra Floyd Pautler at pautler@u.washington.edu.
Further information about the APEC Emerging Infections Network is available at
http://www.apec.org/infectious. |
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© 1998, The University of Washington |
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